Such apparatus can serve to maintain any object which one desires to place in diverse orientations as, for example, a table lamp, a reflector, etc. and to also employ the same in surgical uses as will be described later.
The present invention is particularly directed to such apparatus.
The apparatus according to the invention comprises a U-shaped element on the branches of which a flange closing the U is detachably secured, at least two cylindrical superposed plates, one of which is rotatably engaged in the flange and the other in the U-shaped element, the adjacent surfaces of the plates each having a diametral groove such that placed face to face these grooves form a hole adapted to receive a rod or stem to be oriented. The rod or stem can be turned with the plates in a plane perpendicular to the branches of the U-shaped element. The U-shaped element has a hole traversing its base in a direction from the foot of one branch to the other and adapted to receive a support bar. The immobilization of the plates with corresponding locking of the rod is obtained by locking of the flange against the extremities of said branches. The immobilization of the U-shaped element on the support bar is obtained either through the intermediary of the above locking by the flange on the U-shaped element or by an independent locking.
The grooves in the plates can be semi-cylindrical or of V-shape or otherwise.
It has been said above that the element according to the invention can be employed in surgical uses. In this case, it will constitute a fixator device for the treatment of bone fractures by the method of pins screwed into the bone.
This method is of itself known and permits by means of the pins and of members joining the same and constituting the fixator device external securing of the said pins and thereby the fractured bone fragments to which they are connected.
The members maintaining these pins are also known in and of themselves permitting their locking as in the manner of a vise and having a stem for coupling to the fixator device.
This comprises for the connection of these members a joinder bar to which the coupling stems are connected by particular elements allowing a displacement of the stems in any orientation desired and their easy immobilization and rigid connection to the joinder bar.
In this case, the joinder bar described above will constitute the support bar of the element cited hereinabove.
It is such application of the invention that the annexed drawing shows two embodiments and a variation given by way of example.